The Three Crowns, Barrow-Upon-Soar

The Occasion: Dinner with Ma

Facade

The 3 Crowns is a crumbling old building and is probably the earliest pub in the village of Barrow-Upon-Soar. There is a huge beer garden on the front, with a heated, sheltered patio.

Interior

The bar is large and favours a mixture of squashy leather sofas and a mish-mash of wooden chairs and stools. The restuarant is a bit more formal, painted in a nice olive green, with lots of tables although you don't feel like you've been crammed in.

Snap
We chose from the bargainous '2-meals-for-£10' menu, which was surprisingly extensive and varied. Mum had a 6oz rump steak with chips and salad; I picked the Brie, onion and asparagus Wellington with new potatoes and salad. For the price, I was pleasantly suprised with the quality of the food - my pastry was light and fluffy, the potatoes were crispy and flecked with garlic and I even ate all of my salad when I usually avoid it (ever heard of a vegetarian salad-dodger?) My only complaint would be that the Wellington didn't have enough Brie in it but for a fiver, you can't really grumble.

Pros
The food is cheap and tasty and smokers are well catered for both in summer and winter.

Cons
I wouldn't bring a hot date here. As a pub, it's populated by 40+, horny divorcees and tends to have live gigs by paunchy, 55-year-olds with grey mullets belting out the ubiquitous Mustang Sally.

Outfit
Beware the roving eyes of the 40+, drunken male. Best not to flash too much cleavage / leg but certainly feel free to stick some skinny jeans on teamed with a nice top and stilletoes. You won't look too over / undercooked.

Best for...
A cheap and cheerful lunch in the sunny beer garden.